Nivsarkar M, Sethi A, Bapu C, Patel M, Padh H
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, B.V. Patel Pharmaceutical Education and Research Development Centre, Thaltej Gandhinagar Highway, Thaltej, Ahmedabad-380054, Gujarat, India.
Contraception. 2001 Oct;64(4):255-9. doi: 10.1016/s0010-7824(01)00254-2.
The role of membrane sulphydryl groups in blastocyst implantation was studied by masking the membrane sulphydryl groups in the endometrium of Swiss albino mice, Mus musculus, using 10(-5) M cobalt chloride and 0.05 mM as well as 0.005 mM n-ethylmaleimide. Here we show that the blocking of sulphydryl groups with cobalt resulted in a decrease in superoxide radical surge and an increase in superoxide dismutase levels at the time of implantation. We hypothesize that it may be due to either a decrease in membrane fluidity or the unavailability of sulphydryl groups of endometrial membrane, thus preventing blastocyst implantation. These sulphydryl groups can be targeted for future contraceptive research.
